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There is no dark side to Kevin VanDam. This photo was shot in fun with the man most folks simply refer to as KVD. He’s regarded as a fearsome warrior on the water. A look around his home, along with his Man Cave, shows the bounty of achievement, while offering a glimpse of the meticulous attention to details KVD credits for so much of his success. Take a look at KVD’s man cave, which is better described as his Oasis.
All captions: Steve Bowman
Photo: James Overstreet
Like many of the Bassmaster Elite anglers, VanDam has an “out” building or shop, where his boat and trailer reside. For the most part VanDam has a similar set up but with a twist.
Photo: James Overstreet
The four-bay shop offers a lot of room to house equipment.
Photo: James Overstreet
Depending on what day it is and his schedule, you may find his Toyota Tundra parked just outside.
Photo: James Overstreet
And inside is his Nitro Z21, sitting on a pristine floor and within a room clean enough to perform surgery if the need ever came up.
Photo: James Overstreet
This section of his man cave isn’t necessarily there for rigging and working on tackle.
Photo: James Overstreet
When the floor is polished and the boat is there, it’s most often used as a studio, where a lot of work is done with a variety of TV shows VanDam is part of along with his social media offerings that are so popular with his fans.
Photo: James Overstreet
While most of that revolves around fishing, VanDam isn’t shy about his love for deer hunting and this man cave, like so many showcases a sampling of his success in the woods as it does on the water.
Photo: James Overstreet
A large well-placed framed print of one of the catches of his career sets off the back wall, along with the metal cut out of his initials.
Photo: James Overstreet
When the lights are out in the studio, the red lights of the initials illuminate the room, and photographer James Overstreet and VanDam couldn’t resist having a little fun with the images it could create.
Photo: James Overstreet
Even the bobblehead of the fishing star couldn’t help but smile. It sits on the bar near the ice bucket.
Photo: James Overstreet
A black and white print of “The Legends of Bass Fishing” is framed and hanging on the wall. VanDam is included in this print along with virtually every Hall of Famer in the bass fishing world.
Photo: James Overstreet
The next room is where things start to look more like a shop. But even all this gear stacked and ready isn’t for VanDam’s use.
Photo: James Overstreet
Instead it’s part of a growing pile of prizes VanDam is gathering for his new College Bass Tour, in his home state of Michigan.
Photo: James Overstreet
There are piles of KVD signature lures ready to be given to young anglers entered in the event that began in June.
Photo: James Overstreet
On the opposite end of the shop are two lawnmowers and a variety of yard tools to help keep his oasis clean and neat.
Photo: James Overstreet
The back wall has shelving for containers and equipment and includes a whole row of yet-to-be hung deer mounts.
Photo: James Overstreet
In the center of the room is a rigged and ready-to-go Nitro Z19.
Photo: James Overstreet
This boat, though, belongs to Nicholas and Jackson. The two compete in local events together and have the boat set up to go at all times.
Photo: James Overstreet
Back in the studio/shop/man cave, VanDam has a rack of advertisements and posters he’s been showcased in for the past three decades from a variety of sponsors.
Photo: James Overstreet
His relationship with his sponsors, forced him to go back to the shop where Nicholas and Jackson’s boat is sporting the new Mercury ProXS, one of the first to come off the assembly line.
Photo: James Overstreet
The last stop in this part of his oasis is a bar at the back at the studio, where VanDam will gladly serve as bartender for any visitor.
Photo: James Overstreet
Away from the shop/studio is the main house and its garage where we start to get a glimpse of how VanDam stores his gear.
Photo: James Overstreet
A small gathering of tackle boxes are lined in enclosed cabinets and ready to be put in service.
Photo: James Overstreet
But the real man cave is above the garage.
Photo: James Overstreet
When these photos were shot it was turkey season in Michigan and at the top of the stairs there were three turkey-hunting vests ready and waiting to go.
Photo: James Overstreet
But inside the room the scene quickly turns to fishing and virtually everything VanDam has gathered from or needs for a bass tournament.
Photo: James Overstreet
The main room of the man cave has a series of dormers that serve as mini tackle stations and in a few cases memory lanes. The first is filled with hard baits.
Photo: James Overstreet
Many of these baits are hard to find, but still could come into service at some point.
Photo: James Overstreet
They include some older model topwater from years gone by.
Photo: James Overstreet
This one includes a life-sized KVD cut-out standing guard over the packages lining the walls.
Photo: James Overstreet
And the next dormer is filled equally with baits lining the walls.
Photo: James Overstreet
Most of it is filled with baits with the KVD signature on them.
Photo: James Overstreet
He even has a miniature truck and boat rig almost identical to the one he competes in.
Photo: James Overstreet
This area ensures he will never run out of crankbaits.
Photo: James Overstreet
And this one ensures he will never run out of spinnerbaits.
Photo: James Overstreet
The alcoves of baits are tied together by a workbench with drawers that are equally filled with tackle. More on that later.
Photo: James Overstreet
One dormer is lined with special photos and really special guitars. This is a Sexy Shad guitar given to VanDam by Dwayne Caulkin after he won one of his Bassmaster Classics. After his next Classic victory he was given a double-neck Sexy Shad guitar.
Photo: James Overstreet
Jeff Kolodzinski of Humminbird gave VanDam this guitar after his cumulative weight in all 27 of his Bassmaster Classics reached 1,000 pounds.
Photo: James Overstreet
And this guitar with wood etching was a gift from Dwayne Caulkin after yet another Classic win.
Photo: James Overstreet
The wood etching features VanDam, his family, his logo, a bass, a red-eye shad and a rod and reel.
Photo: James Overstreet
One of those special photos in the dormer is an original painting presented to VanDam and his wife Sherry.
Photo: James Overstreet
No man cave is complete without an authentic Tennessee hat signed by Bill Dance.
Photo: James Overstreet
But VanDam’s man cave also sports two Bowie knives engraved and presented to him by Ray Scott during the Eagles of Angling events Scott hosted at his reservoir in the 1990s.
Photo: James Overstreet
Still other dormers are filled with Quantum rods, where VanDam can quickly add to his arsenal when he needs to.
Photo: James Overstreet
The whole room is watched over by VanDam through the ages with a cut-out that is 20 years old, one that is closer to his age now and of course the real thing. He’s on the far right.
Photo: James Overstreet
Memorabilia is a big thing in VanDam’s man cave. This shelf includes his carved initials, an American flag and a cut out of his head that was part of the set on ESPN’s PTI (Pardon the Interruption). The cut out includes autographs from show hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.
Photo: James Overstreet
Among the wall decorations are photos from his first Classic win in New Orleans, like this one as he and his family take the Championship ride around the arena.
Photo: James Overstreet
Years ago every B.A.S.S. tournament came with a patch and VanDam has every patch from every tournament he fished during that period.
Photo: James Overstreet
VanDam is a tireless giver of his time and many of kids he’s helped in the Make-A-Wish Foundation have sent him photos and thank you notes. These moments were special to the kids, but VanDam is obviously moved by them as well. His man cave houses several of these kinds of tributes.
Photo: James Overstreet
They share the same space as photos from his first Classic and those with his wife and sons.
Photo: James Overstreet
The center of the room has a large HD television, where VanDam stores and watches past Bassmaster shows and other fishing shows that are of interest.
Photo: James Overstreet
The door leading out of the other side of the man cave has a sign that leaves little doubt of whom it belongs to.
Photo: James Overstreet
As if yet another dormer filled with baits and tackle didn’t give you a clue.
Photo: James Overstreet
The room also has segmented closets where the bulk of his gear is stored. This one includes extra boxes, extra hats and hoodies.
Photo: James Overstreet
Hanging on the door is a set of boxing gloves he received when he attended the ESPY Awards.
Photo: James Overstreet
And next to it is a box filled with dollar bills all signed by Elite anglers who have lost bets to VanDam. The one he’s holding is from Gerald Swindle.
Photo: James Overstreet
Beside that is a net given to him by a fan after he won the 2001 Bassmaster Classic.
Photo: James Overstreet
The net sits beside a jar with a jumble of baits in them. The baits are the winning baits from all of VanDam’s wins over the years.
Photo: James Overstreet
That shelf includes some knick-knacks from friends who make some interesting baits like this Buzz Rat.
Photo: James Overstreet
And there’s an original Charles Spence packaged Strike King spinnerbait. All those things are scattered around the real bulk of the man cave.
Photo: James Overstreet
The drawers in the main room are filled with tackle like Mustad Hooks.
Photo: James Overstreet
The closets are filled with gear as well, with boxes packed into every space.
Photo: James Overstreet
And of course there are plenty of his own signature series Plano tackle bags.
Photo: James Overstreet
The walls have shelves for even more hooks and boxes. The big boxes are for storage too but mainly used for transporting tackle in bulk from event to event.
Photo: James Overstreet
When it’s time to pack, they look like this; filled to the brim with whatever VanDam thinks he might need for the coming event.
Photo: James Overstreet
The deeper you dig there are more Quantum rods.
Photo: James Overstreet
VanDam is a big believer in hooks, changing them frequently. These Mustad Triple Grips are among his favorite. “I’ve won hundreds of thousands of dollars on these,’’ he said.
Photo: James Overstreet
He has drawers filled with line, every size you can imagine and organized meticulously.
Photo: James Overstreet
When asked if he really used all that line, VanDam said, “I’ll go through every bit of it in a year’s time.”
Photo: James Overstreet
More walls are filled with containers full of baits and equipment.
Photo: James Overstreet
And more shelves are filled with hooks and terminal tackle.
Photo: James Overstreet
It’s all out of sight until VanDam pulls it out and starts packing.
Photo: James Overstreet
He even has a wooden bowl filled with extra Quantum reels, ready to go if he needs them. But these are mostly semi-retired.
Photo: James Overstreet
Looking around the room there are more logos and photos that are meaningful to him.
Photo: James Overstreet
But in much of the room there are tributes to others, like this blanket from a Make-A-Wish trip.
Photo: James Overstreet
And this wooden plaque that is signed on the back.
Photo: James Overstreet
But carved on the front. All of these pieces have a special place. VanDam gets close to emotional when he talks about each one of them. “For people to send me these kind of things, it’s just…,’’ and his voice trails off moving to another item in the room.
Photo: James Overstreet
The dormer in the man cave is really special. It showcases each of the four jerseys VanDam was wearing when he won the Bassmaster Classic.
Photo: James Overstreet
It all connects to home that in many ways look like it came straight out of Better Homes and Garden magazine. That’s a tribute to Sherry VanDam.
Photo: James Overstreet
The home looks over 425 acres near Kalamazoo.
Photo: James Overstreet
It comes with a swimming pool.
Photo: James Overstreet
But it’s used more to test lures than for taking a dip or sun bathing.
Photo: James Overstreet
The spacious home is comfortable for the VanDams.
Photo: James Overstreet
But no place is more comfortable than sitting in the trophy room.
Photo: James Overstreet
With 25 Bassmaster wins, four Classic victories and seven Angler of the Year titles along with some FLW and MLF trophies, he needs a whole room.
Photo: James Overstreet
He didn’t say it, but we know he was thinking: “There’s room for more.”
Photo: James Overstreet
The trophy room includes several photos of significance to him throughout his career.
Photo: James Overstreet
Including one of a farm field that was cut and planted in his logo a few years ago.
Photo: James Overstreet
But it’s hard to keep your eyes off the trophy rack when you are in the room.
Photo: James Overstreet
Even with a wall full of Bassmaster Magazine covers he has appeared on.
Photo: James Overstreet
Or with a shelf full of Bassmaster Classic rings.
Photo: James Overstreet
There’s a photo of him and Sherry with President George H. Bush from the Eagles of Angling event.
Photo: James Overstreet
And one of Nicholas and Jackson when they were children fishing on a creek bank. The trophy room includes all the things that VanDam really holds special in his heart.
Photo: James Overstreet
But his home is more than that. It has everything he needs to unwind after a long road trip.
Photo: James Overstreet
Including a quiet balcony to enjoy his morning coffee or an afternoon drink.
Photo: James Overstreet
A VanDam home wouldn’t be complete without a fishing lake.
Photo: James Overstreet
The VanDam lake is managed and cared for to allow for a great day of fishing in his own backyard.
Photo: James Overstreet
And his home is just a few steps away.
Photo: James Overstreet
Along with a fire pit and chairs to relax next to the lake.
Photo: James Overstreet
It connects the whole scene with VanDam’s shop/studio.
Photo: James Overstreet
And of course, VanDam catches them there like every where else.
Photo: James Overstreet
This one is a largemouth.
Photo: James Overstreet
And a nice one at that.
Photo: James Overstreet
But the next one is a smallmouth.
Photo: James Overstreet
And it’s a nice one as well.
Photo: James Overstreet
This is KVD’s oasis, the whole world, at least his whole home, seems to be his man cave.
Photo: James Overstreet
